Bookbinding strips



Filed Oct. 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO HalZ/A. Carloz ZOB z M@1.214l x/ ATTORNEYS Dec. 22, i959 H. A. CARLSON 2,918,056

BOOKBINDING STRIPS 5 Filed OCT.. 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll 52B 25B16B 165 205 16B E MF 7 110A 9A f56,4

C16A I 430A (6,4 .LBOA 50A (16A E 18E 10E' E l ZE 55E 40E IN VENTORHarry!! CarLS on ATTORNEYS Sates ooKBlNnrNG STRIPS Application October27, 1958, Serial No. 769,716

'5 Claims. (Cl. 129--19) This invention relates to a novel strip forpermanently binding leaves or pamphlets in a book form, and moreparticularly relates to such a strip which may be assembled in selectedmultiples to bind any given number of leaves or pamphlets in the form ofa book.

There have been various schemes proposed vfor binding separate sheets orinserts in permanent book form by the use of anchoring strips. One ofthese schemes is described in U.S. Letters Patent No. 50,521 reissuedMay 2l, 1867, as Re. No. 2,617. However, none of the arrangementsheretofore proposed have been widely accepted and used because ofvarious deficiencies which make them inconvenient to assemble andsec-ure.

An object of this invention is to provide a strip for permanentlybinding leaves in a book form which is convenient to assemble regardlessof the number of strips to be bound together, simple to permanentlyfasten, and simple and economical to manufacture.

Another object is to provide such a strip whose active surfaces can beeasily Vcoated with a readily-activated adhering agent.

In accordance with this invention a rectangular strip of flexible sheetmaterial is formed with aligned tabs and slotted intermediate portionsdisposed on opposite sides of a substantially centrally disposedlongitudinal fold line. A series of these strips relating in number tothe number of pages to be bound thereby are assembled by inserting thetabs of each through the slots of the other. The interlocked tabs andslotted intermediate portions provide means for fastening inserts, suchas, leaves or pamphlets to the binding strips. The noninterlocked outeredges of the binding strips provide means for attaching cover sheets tothe binding strip. A readily activatable adhesive coating may beprovided on these strips for example on their inner surfaces, tofacilitate their permanent fastenings to inserts and cover sheets.Furthermore, these strips may be provided either in standard uniformlengths of identical configuration, or in long continuous strips whichmay be cut to any predetermined length corresponding to the size of thelargest insert to be fastened thereto. Also, if desired, special dutystrips may be provided. For example, strips having one plain edge may beused to provide a smooth outer binding for the cover.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art the reading of the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings whereinsimilar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through Fig. 1 along the line 22before inserts are secured thereto;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2 after inserts aresecured thereto;

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of an assembled embodiment of thisinvention associated with inserts to be bound thereby;

arent ice Fig. 5 is a layout pattern of one of the strips shown in Figs.1-4;

Fig. 6 is a layout pattern of a modification of the strip shown in Fig.5;

Fig. 7 is a layout pattern of another of the strips shown in Figs. 1-4;and

Fig. 8 is a modification of the strip shown in Fig. 7.

In Fig. l are shown two interlocked strips 10A and 10B in the positionsin which they are assembled to secure leaves 12A and 12B and coversheets 14A and 14B in book form. As shown in Fig. 1, tabs 16A of strip10A are inserted through slots 18B in intermediate portions 20B of strip10B to partially interlock the strips. At the same time tabs 16B areinserted through slots 18A on intermediate portions 20A of strip 10A tocomplete the interlocking of binding strips 10A and 10B. As also kshownin Fig. l, aligned sets of interlocked tabs and intermediate portions16B--20A and 16A-20B respectively. provide convenient means for securingleaves 12A and 12B to the binding. Leaves 12B and 12A are merelyrepresentative of inserts in general and may be for example pages orpamphlets or multileaved pamphlets. The outer noninterlocked edges 22Aand 22B of strip 10A and 10B provide convenient means for attached coversheets 14A and 14B.

Inserts and cover sheets are for example permanently secured to thebinding by an adhesive coating which, for example, is either .applied toactive surfaces of the tabs and intermediate portions, or is, Iforexample, conveniently preapplied `to one surface of the strips in areadily-activatable form during manufacture. A wateractivating coatingis for example applied to one surface of strips 10A and 10B vto permitsecuring of adjacent surfaces of sets of interlocked tabs andintermediate portions 16B-20A and 16A-20B to inserts and securing ofnoninterlocked outer edges 22 to cover sheets. As indicated in Figs.1-3, single .inserts 12A and 12B vare respectively inserted between theaforementioned sets of interlocked tabs and intermediate portions16B-20A and 16A20B, and these interlocked tabs and intermediate portionsare subsequently secured to opposite sides of inserts 12A and 12B.However, two inserts may be inserted between interlocked tabs andintermediate por.

tions instead of one with one insert secured to the tabs and the otherinsert secured to the intermediate portions as shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 2 and 3 show relative positions of strips 10A and 10B before andafter the securing of respective tabs and intermediate portions toopposite sides of single inserts 12A and 12B. As shown in Fig. 3, notonly are inserts 12A and 12B secured to binding strips 10A and 16B whencorresponding tabs and intermediate portions are secured to theseinserts; but, at the same time, the binding strips 10A and 10B arepermanently bound together to form a unitary book.

In Fig. 4 is shown an arrangement in which a third strip 10C isinterlocked with strip 10B, to provide two more sets of interlocked tabsand intermediate portions 16B-20C and 16C-20B. This indicates how theinterlocking of each additional binding strip provides two more sets ofinterlocked tabs and intermediate portions. As further shown in Fig. 4,one pair of interlocked tabs and intermediate portions 16C-20B have twoinserts instead of one connected between them.

In Figs. 5 and 6 are shown plan views of strips 10B and 10B(1) which canbe cut to any desired length :to provide the binding arrangementillustrated in Figs. 1-4. In Fig. 5, for example the longitudinal centerline 30B represents the line upon which it is folded prior tointerlocking. This line need not be the actual center line of the strip,but a convenient form of this invention is provided by disposing itequidistantly between the sides 3 of the strip. Slits 32B are cut atangles down both sides of the strip to form uniformally spaceddovetail-shaped tabs 16B upon opposite sides of the strip. Slots 18B areformed on portions 20B intermediate tabs`16B, in line with eachdovetail-shaped tab 16B on the opposite side of the fold line 30B fromits aligned tab 16B. Slot 18B is at least as long as the root 34Br oftab 16B and disposed ata distance from fold line equalv to the distancethat root 34B is spaced from fold line 30B. Tabs 16B are insertedthrough slots 18B by curling the outer edges of tabs 16B and insertingthem through slots 18B. This temporarily secures the interlocked tab and`slotted intermediate portions together as shown in Fig. 1 before theyare fastened to inserts disposed between them.

As shown in Fig. 5, an adhesive material is deposited completely overone surface 23B of strip 10B to permit it to be permanently secured tointerlocked sheets. This adhesive is, for example, of the wateractivated. type. Fig. 6 is identical to Fig. 5 with the exception thatthe adhesive material is applied only to sections 53B and 63B of `10B(1)extending from slots 18B outwardly whereas the inner or center section73B is lleft free of adhesive which is not required to secure the stripsto interleaved inserts.

In Fig. 7 is shown a strip 10A which has one edge 36A left completely ofslits and slots to provide an unmarked edge for binding a cover sheet.This is used to provide an unmarked outer binding for the book. However,this strip A is not absolutely knecessary unless a slit and slottedbinding for the outer cover sheet is considered objectionable.

In Fig. 8 is shown a strip 10E which is made, vfor example, of wovencloth having its warp 38E and Woof 40E disposed diagonally across eachother to strengthen the strip. An additional feature shown in Fig. 8 isthe termination of the slits 32E and slots 18E in small holes 42E whichprevent the slits and slots from tearing and enlarging which mightweaken the binder.`

What is claimed is:

l. A strip for binding inserts in a book form compn'sing a rectangularsheet of exible sheet material having a substantially centrally disposedlongitudinal fold line, a series of uniformly spaced tabs formed on bothsides of said fold line and extending to the sides of said strip, saidtabs on one side of said strips being centrally staggered between thetabs on the other side of said strip, slots for receiving said tabsformed upon portions of said strips intermediate said tabs, said slotsbeing disposed in line with said tabs to permit the tabs of one strip to4be inserted through the slots in another, and said tabs andintermediate portions providing means for permanently securing insertsthereto and said binding strips tov gether.

2. A binding strip as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tabs andintermediate portions are simultaneously formed by inclined slits downthe edges of said strips which form dovetail-shaped tabs andtrapezoidal-shaped intermediate portions.

3. A binding strip as set forth in claim 2 wherein said slots aredisposed substantially parallel to said fold line and are spaced a shortdistance therefrom.

4. A binding strip as set form in claim 3 wherein the length of saidslots is shorter than the length of the outer edge of saiddovetail-shaped tabs and longer than References Cited in the tile ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 50,521 Velthoven et al. Oct. 17, 1865589,504 Jack Sept. 7, 1897 1,250,016 Richards Dec.11, 1917

